Shower head



May 7, 1940- L. BRUZAUD 2,199,478

SHOWER HEM)v Fil-ed sept. 17, 1957 l Amllslgsmlsls mmmsmmm enga oon LEXANDER BRUZAUD INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

- Patented May 7, 1940 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a shower head. More particularly it concerns a so-called blending shower head, i. e. a type of shower head that is to accommodate water soluble preparations,

| which will blend wltha stream of liquid passing through the fixture. l.

An object of my invention is theconstruction of a simple and eiiicient shower head, whereby bath preparations now made for tub use, such l as water softeners, bath salts, perfumed bath oils, bath and body deodorants, pine needle baths, and various other antiseptic and therapeutic bath compounds, may be incorporated in and may be dispensed by way of a shower bath.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a special blending chamber within theshower head, which allows dissolution in predetermined concentrations of bath preparations whichare preparedandintroduced in a dry concentrated 20 form, and are calculated to dissolve completely in va given quantity of liquid passing through a shower head of this invention, or in a given time in a solvent passing through the head at arreasonable speed of flow.

A further object of my invention provides for arrangements within the shower head of a continued, complete, even and uniform mixing or blending of the solvent with the conditioning preparations so that the iinal discharge from the shower head has a smoothly blended quality. Thus, for instance, a turbulence may be eiected in the blending shower head at three different stages, before and after the admixture of the conditioning ingredients to the liquid; and in the discharge of the mixture.

It is also an object of this invention to provide for ease and simplicity of loading the shower head with the blending preparations intended for use in same.

o `The invention also pursues several hygienic features which additional objects will be more clearly recognized from the following description.

In order to obtain a uniform conditioning of the stream oi a shower head for an extended time, and in order to effect a predetermined control of the concentration of the mixture discharged, the conditioning ingredients are pref-` erably accommodated in a pervious closure, which permits ready passage of uids, but not of solid matter. As a further step of this invention, the

50 conditioning ingredients may be placed between pervious diaphragms, some of which are exclusively allocated for the admission of the solvent whereas others have the sole duty of permitting the discharge of the prepared leach or solution. By such an additional organization of the apparatus an orderly distribution and proper circulation are attained. Besides the diaphragms referred to one or more additional diaphragms .o may be converted for the particular purpose of agitatedV circulation, so -thatfthe dispensed solution is uniiormlyimixed. The following is a specific .execution of my invention, rendered in detail; it is, however, n ot to be interpreted as limitative, but purely as iliustrative of the present invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a` cross-sectioned side view of a shower head..

Fig. 2 is a corresponding detail top view of the enclosure accommodating the conditioning ingredients.

Fig. 3A is a corresponding end view of the enclosure.

Similar numerals refer to similar .parts throughout the various views:

In the modication illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the compartment or enclosure accommodating in the conditioning ingredients is executed as a valve stem, the shower head being correspondingly'converted to comprise a valve, accommodating said stem.

The said valve stem II, which serves as ecmpartment or enclosure, is separately illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. In accordance with valve prac,l 25

tice, the compartment II may outwardlyr be ta` pered, with conical surface I2. CompartmentV I I may be hollow so that it becomesshell shaped, with one open end, to the left for instance, but closed at the other end by a iiange, which is integral therewith, and which carries the arbor Il. The arbor I4 has a straight shoulder section I5, and an end section I6 of smaller diameter, which latter section may be fashioned square for instance, in order to receive a suitable handle. In the drawing the end section I6 is toothed or knurled, and the bore of the handle I1 is correspondingly broached so that it may be tted onto the arbor at any preferred angle, slipping onto the section I6 against the end of the shoulder I and being retained in such position by a screw I8 inserted into the end of arbor Il.

The body or housing I9 of the shower head is substantially shaped as a cross-tting. At the top is the inlet 20, which is connected by a universal coupling 2| for instance, to a supply pipe 22 of the liquid to be dispensed, said pipe 22 being part of a suitable liquid supply discharge.

At the bottom of the housing or body I9 we have an outlet 23 for the solution or leach. This outlet may be provided with a suitable spray head, e. g. the spray cap 24, which engages upon a thread surroundingthe outlet 23 and may be sealed by a suitable washer 25.

The cross arm 21 of the body or housing I9 has a largetaper bore 26, which fits the conical surface l2 of the compartment Il. The cross' arm 21 is threaded at opposite ends in order to receive the plug 28 and bushing 29 respectively. These two latter parts 28 and 29 may be pro.

vided with shoulders 30 at their outer ends, which are undercut to receive packing 3|. The outsides 32 of the shoulders 30 may be suitably adapted for gripping, for instance by a knurl.

The plug 28 may serve as a back stop for the compartment Il, particularly when the latter is cylindrical on the outsidel instead of being conical.

The conical surface I2 may be socketed in the taper 23 by a spring 33 surrounding the shoulder 'II and reacting upon the inside of the bushing 2l, so that there is a good seal and still the compartment I I may be rotated by way of manipulation of handle I1.

In the position of Fig. 1 the shower head is l ready for use, except, of course, that the compartment II should be filled with a suitable conditioning ingredient. For such filling the handle I1 is swung through 90 in` a clockwise direction or in a counterclockwise direction, and one or another outer intake opening 34 on the back of the housing or body I9 will then register with an inner intake opening in compartment or item I I. In order to interfere as little as possible with the ordinary percolation, these intake openings may be laterally oiset relatively to the inlet 20 and outlet 23, as shown in the drawing.

In this new, charging position, a web'section 33 of the conical surface Il (to be hereafter explained) closes the inlet 20 so that no additional water may be supplied, and a suitable charge of conditioning ingredients, say in the form of spheres or cylinders, may be introduced into the shower head by way of the registering openings 34 and 35 on the back of the shower head. The pervious retaining walls, through which the liquid enters upon compartment II from the inlet and leaves the compartment to the outlet',

" will of course retard the flow of the liquid passing through the shower head, unless their crosssection is enlarged.

In other words the inlet 20 and the outlet 23 should expand or contract, respectively, into or from enlarged chambers, where the liquid flows into or out from the compartment or stem II. In connection with an arrangement like that shown in the drawing, this may be brought about by providing chambers at the inner ends of the inlet and outlet by cutting out portions of the inner taper 26 in the body or housing I9, or by providing, conversely, analogous recesses-31 and 33 in the conical surface I2 of th'e compartment II. The latter arrangement is preferred and shown in the drawing, because under these circumstances the chambers 31 and 38 will shift when the compartment I I is rotated by means of the handle I1, so that the chambers 31 and 33, will face the inlet 20 and the outlet 23 in the .operative position of use of Fig. 1; Awhereas in the other position of non-use, at which the compartment may be refilled by way of the openings 34 and 35, the dividing partitions or webs 39 and 43, representing extensions of the non-recessed portion of the conical face i2 will face the inlet and outlet. 'I'hus said surface runs right through from the left to the right on the compartment Il at those partition or web portions. If these dividing webs or partitions are broadened out at the points where they face the inlet and outlet of the filling position, then these broadened portions 36 of the conical face I2 willclose the inlet and outlet at the reflling position of the shower head. At the' same time, these broadened portions 33 serve to divert endwise the now of the entering or leaving liquid, from -the inlet 2l or to the outlet 23 respectively.

In the recessed portions 31 and 38, of the compartment II, a pervious wall surrounds the inside of the compartment II. If the recesses are cut out completely a suitable pervious tubing, e. g. a wire screen basket, may be inserted.

If, on the other hand, these recesses 31 and 3l are not cut out but merely spared out, as shown in the drawing, so that there remains a thin,'sub` stantially cylindrical wall at these points, then this wall may be perforated by holes 4I and 42, e. g. in grate fashion.

When the shower head is in use, the water or other liquid coming from the supply system 22, will enter by way of the inlet 20, will spread out into the chamber 31, will enter upon the compartment II, by way of ,the respective holes 4I, will percolate the contents of the compartment II, will leave the compartment II by way of the hole 42, will pass through the chamber 38 to the outlet 23, and from there through the spray 24 onto the user.

If an additional mixing or whirling motion is to be imparted to the liquid passing through the shower head, the holes y4I and 42 may be disposed at an incline, e. g. tangentially instead of radially; or plugs perforated for the particular purpose of introducing an added whirling action, may be inserted in the inlet 20 or outlet 23; such a plug 43 is shown in the drawing, where it is for instance seated in the outlet 23.

Having thus described my invention in detail, I do not wish to be' limited thereby, except as the state of the art and the appended claims may require, for it is obvious that various modifications and changes may be made in the form of embodiment oi' my invention, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. What'I claim is:

l. In a shower head, a body with an inlet and a spray outlet, and a compartment with pervious walls in said body between said inlet and said outlet, said outlet being'v spaced relatively to said compartment so that a chamberv is formed between said outlet and said compartment, said `chamber being larger in cross-section than said outlet.

2. In a shower head, a body an inlet and a spray outlet, and a compartment with pervious walls and having raised stem sections rotatably seated in said body between said inlet and said outlet, va chamber larger in cross-section than said inlet being provided on one of said pervious walls between said stem sections in said body on said compartment, saidchamber registering with said inlet ata predetermined angular position of said compartment in said body.

3. In a shower head, a body having an inlet and a spray outlet, and a compartment with pervious walls rotatably seated in said body between said inlet and said outlet, a chamber larger in cross-section than said outlet being provided by way of a recess in one of the abutting surfaces of said body and said compartment, said chamber registering with said outlet at a predetermined angular position of said compartment in said body.

LEXANDER BRUZAUD. 

